During 2025, tropical cyclones formed in seven major bodies of water, commonly known as tropical cyclone basins. They were named by various weather agencies when they attained maximum sustained winds of . Throughout the year, a total of 133 systems formed, with 95 of them being named or possessing tropical storm-force winds. The most intense storm of the year was Hurricane Melissa in the North Atlantic Ocean, which had a minimum pressure of . The deadliest and costliest tropical cyclone of the year was Cyclone Senyar in the North Indian Ocean, which caused at least 2,253 deaths and over $20 billion in damage in Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia. Among this year's systems, twenty-six became major tropical cyclones, of which five intensified into Category 5 tropical cyclones on the Saffir–Simpson scale (SSHWS). The accumulated cyclone energy (ACE) index for the 2025 (seven basins combined), as calculated by Colorado State University (CSU) was 728.6 units, which was near-normal of the 1991–2020 mean of 770.2 units.
The most active basin in the year was the Western Pacific Ocean, which had twenty-seven named systems. The Eastern Pacific Ocean had an above-average season, with twenty named storms forming; eleven of those became hurricanes, of which four further strengthened into major hurricanes. The North Atlantic Ocean had a total of thirteen named storms. The North Indian Ocean was active, with four named storms forming. Activity across the southern hemisphere's three basins (South-West Indian, Australian, and South Pacific) was fairly significant, with the regions recording twenty-nine named storms altogether, with the most intense Southern Hemisphere cyclone of the year, Cyclone Vince in the South-West Indian basin, peaking with a central pressure of 923 hPa.
Tropical cyclones are primarily monitored by ten warning centers around the world, which are designated as a Regional Specialized Meteorological Center (RSMC) or a Tropical Cyclone Warning Center (TCWC) by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO). These centers are: National Hurricane Center (NHC), Central Pacific Hurricane Center (CPHC), Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA), Indian Meteorological Department (IMD), Météo-France (MFR), Indonesia's Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysical Agency (BMKG), Australian Bureau of Meteorology (BoM), Papua New Guinea's National Weather Service (PNGNWS), Fiji Meteorological Service (FMS), and New Zealand's MetService. Unofficial, but still notable, warning centers include the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA; albeit official within the Philippines), the United States's Joint Typhoon Warning Center (JTWC), and the Brazilian Navy Hydrographic Center.
Global atmospheric and hydrological conditions
Summary
North Atlantic Ocean
Tropical cyclogenesis in the Atlantic Ocean began on June 23 with the formation of Tropical Storm Andrea, three weeks after the official start of the season and three days later than the basin's average first named storm date. This marked the latest start to an Atlantic hurricane season since 2014, when Hurricane Arthur developed on July 1. Andrea remained over open waters in the central Atlantic. The second storm, Tropical Storm Barry, formed in the Bay of Campeche on June 28 and made landfall near Tampico the following day.
Early-season storm formation was limited by several factors. A sprawling North Atlantic High steered tropical waves emerging from West Africa farther south than usual, toward Central America and into the eastern Pacific Ocean. In addition, persistent Saharan dust and the interaction of Kelvin and Rossby waves over the Americas contributed to a hostile environment for tropical development.
The third storm, Tropical Storm Chantal, developed off the Atlantic coast of the Southeastern United States on July 4 and made landfall two days later in South Carolina. All three early-season storms were short-lived, lasting a combined 2.5 days as named storms, well below the 1991-2020 average of 9.1 days through August 2.
After nearly a month of inactivity, Tropical Storm Dexter developed along a stalled front off the North Carolina coast on August 4 before moving out to sea. Hurricane Erin formed near Cape Verde on August 11 and traversed the Atlantic, intensifying into a Category 5 hurricane near the northern Leeward Islands on August 16. It then brought rain, wind, and rip currents to Puerto Rico, Turks and Caicos, the Bahamas, and the East Coast of the United States, while remaining off shore. Shortly after Erin became extratropical, Tropical Storm Fernand formed in the open Atlantic, southeast of Bermuda. Wind shear along with dry air and stable atmospheric conditions inhibited tropical cyclogenesis during the first half of September, the climatological peak of hurricane season. This highly unusual, nearly three-week long inactive stretch came to an end with the formation of Hurricane Gabrielle on September 17, far to the east of the northern Leeward Islands. The only other season in the weather satellite era to have no named storm active between the end of August and mid-September was the 1992 season. Gabrielle approached Bermuda at Category 4, completed a right turn just southeast of the island, then moved toward the Azores. Next, Hurricane Humberto formed in the central Atlantic on September 24. It ultimately became the second Category 5 hurricane of the season. To its west, Hurricane Imelda formed on September 27. On September 30, the centers of these two systems came within of each other, closer together than any other two storms in the Atlantic in the satellite era.
On October 7, Tropical Storm Jerry formed in the tropical Atlantic, bringing heavy winds and rains to the Leeward Islands; then came short-lived Subtropical Storm Karen, which formed in the Northern Atlantic on October 10. Next, on October 13, Tropical Storm Lorenzo formed in the open Eastern Atlantic. Later, on October 21, Hurricane Melissa formed in the Caribbean Sea. It became the third Category 5 hurricane of the season, and the third-most-intense Atlantic hurricane by central pressure on record, tied with the 1935 Labor Day hurricane. These three Category 5 hurricanes are the second-most of any season after 2005, the only other season to have more than two Category 5 hurricanes.
Four out of five 2025 Atlantic hurricanes were Category 4 or 5 storms—the highest percentage ever observed in any hurricane season.
Eastern & Central Pacific Oceans
Activity within the Eastern Pacific began with the formation and development of Tropical Storm Alvin on May 28, two weeks after the official start of the season, but nearly two weeks earlier than the average formation date of the basin's first named storm. Alvin persisted off the coast of Mexico for a few days before degenerating into a remnant low on May 31. The pace of activity quickened in early June. Two storms, Hurricane Barbara and Tropical Storm Cosme, formed on June 8, off the coast of southwestern Mexico. Next came Tropical Storm Dalila, which formed near the coast of southern Mexico on June 13. Hurricane Erick followed early on June 17, off the coast of southern Mexico. Erick was the earliest major hurricane on record to make landfall on either coast of Mexico (Pacific or Atlantic); the previous Pacific coast record was set by Hurricane Kiko on August 26, 1989.
Next came Hurricane Flossie on June 29, which became a Category 3 hurricane off the southwestern coast of Mexico Dalila, Erick, and Flossie became the earliest fourth, fifth, and sixth named storms respectively in the Eastern Pacific since official naming of storms began there in 1960. Tropical activity in the Central Pacific commenced in late July, with the formation of Hurricane Iona on July 27 and Tropical Storm Keli the following day. Both tracked to the south of Island of Hawaiʻi, with Iona crossing the International Date Line. Soon thereafter, Hurricane Gil formed in the open Eastern Pacific on July 31, far south-southwest of the Baja California peninsula. Four tropical cyclones formed during the month of August. The month began with Hurricane Henriette, which formed on August 4 southwest of the Baja California peninsula and eventually moved northeast of Hawaii. It was soon joined by Tropical Storm Ivo on August 6. Developing later in the month were: Tropical Storm Juliette, on August 24; and Hurricane Kiko, on August 31. Each formed well offshore of the southern tip of Baja California. Four systems developed during September: Hurricane Lorena, on September 2; Tropical Storm Mario, on September 11; Hurricane Narda, on September 21; and Hurricane Octave, on September 30. In early October, Hurricane Priscilla formed, ultimately paralleling the Southwestern coast of Mexico, causing rain, high surf, and rip currents. Additionally, heavy rainfail was recorded in the Southwestern United States. Tropical Storm Raymond followed, bringing rainfall to Arizona, particularly Pinal County. In late October, Tropical Storm Sonia formed, tracking westward out to sea.
Western Pacific Ocean
A short-lived depression formed on February 11 in the South China Sea. It did not strengthen and dissipated into a tropical low late the next day. The system then brought heavy rains to Vietnam, causing flooding. On June 4, a Tropical Disturbance formed assigned as 92W. As it continued westward to the South China Sea, it briefly strengthened into Tropical Depression 01W. The next day it intensified into Tropical Storm Wutip. On the next day, a tropical depression formed, named Auring by PAGASA the next day. On June 12, Wutip had strengthened to a Severe Tropical Storm after getting more organized. Wutip made landfalls on both Hainan and western Guangdong as a minimal typhoon, as estimated by the JTWC. Auring made landfalls on Taiwan and Eastern China. Auring soon dissipated due to land interaction, with Wutip dissipating after making its second landfall. After 6 days of inactivity, 02W formed north of the Northern Mariana Islands. Wind shear soon decreased, and 02W was improving, letting it intensify to Tropical Storm Sepat. It soon degraded in an increasingly unfavorable environment and dissipated near Japan on June 24. 03W formed in the South China Sea and impacted China and Vietnam, killing six people on June 26.